Zendaya on How Oakland Molded Her, Landing Role in “Spiderman” Movie & Lessons From Breakup

Twenty-year-old actress Zendaya stopped by Sway in the Morning to tell us all about her leading role in the new Spider-Man:Homecoming, which is set to hit the big screen on July 7. Last year, a casting controversy spurred on the web after it was rumored that Zendaya would play the role of Mary Jane Watson. Racially-insensitive trolls took to social media to vocalize their discontent about casting a woman of color to portray the traditionally white character. We later learned however, that Zedaya would be playing the role of Michelle – an intellectual loner. “My part, you know, it’s small, but it’s impactful.”

We also spoke to Zendaya about her responsibility as a role model and some takeaways from her last break-up. “I’m glad I kept that to myself because some things don’t need the validation of the world. It’s up to you of you decide to go public . . . You just need two people in a relationship, not millions.”

Icon of hip-hop culture and a pivotal part of the MTV News team, Sway has been a staple of the music-news arena for more than a decade. From giving Eminem, Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac their very first radio airplay on his local show in the mid-’90s to providing television viewers with their first good look at some of today’s hottest celebrities in music, film, fashion and sports. Sway has been there for some of music and the world’s biggest moments.